Meet Tornica Chaney: Cake & Treat Maker | Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tornica Chaney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tornica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process began I believe 10 years ago. I started getting tired of working for corporate America and wanted to do something that I’d enjoy. I would get up every single day hating to go to work, so I said to myself that I had to figure out what I could do that would make me happy. I learned how to bake from my grandmother, mom and aunts. I used to bake cakes whenever my girlfriends and I would get together for our Sunday diners. They’d always say who was bringing what and told me to always bring a cake because they were so good. So I sat down one day and was talking to a friend of mine and he said, “Why not start your own cake business?” In my head I’m like hey maybe that would be something that I could do. I started taking a few classes to learn different techniques as well as learning on YouTube and next thing you know that’s how Cakes by the Pound and More, LLC began. Another thought process was that I would always buy custom cakes for any special occasion, but the last time I got one it was very pretty but the taste was horrible. This also helped me figure out that this was something that I would enjoy because not only did I make great tasting cakes, I also wanted to make sure that the customer got both…the look as well as the taste to keep them coming back!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart is that I’m my own person. I never want to try and be like the next cake baker, I’m always in my own lane. I’m super excited with how my business is getting bigger and better each year there’s something new coming along. This journey was definitely not easy but I overcome because I know. I don’t look at me making cakes as a job, I do it as a hobby and I love making cakes come to life for my customers. I think no journey is easy, but if it’s your passion, you continue to push through because you know there’s nothing but great things that’ll come out of it. I’ve learned to always be honest, listen to your customers wants and make sure you understand them. I’ve also learned to not overbook yourself..lol….this will only hurt your business in the long run. What I’d like the world to know about my brand is that I take pride in my business and I believe in giving nothing but excellent service. With me working in retail, I definitely understand the importance of customer service and making sure you take care of your customer to keep them coming back and spreading your name around. My brand is growing and just watch as we continue to grow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend comes to town we would go get breakfast from breakfast at Barney’s which is my favorite! We’d go shop a bit either at Perimeter or Lenox mall or catch a few outlets. We’d go visit the trap house or even go to a few art museums. If it wasn’t covid we’d definitely catch a few games or concerts. We’d go to jeju spa to relax and get a good body scrub and massage. We would definitely eat dinner at pappadeaux and I’d have a few swamp things which is one of their specialty frozen drinks. As far as my view goes to me since I’m 40, some of the most fun interesting places where I hang out would be the comedy club, skating, movies, and I love to travel. I enjoy going to Stone Mountain park because I love exercising and staying in shape. Being in Atlanta, there’s always plenty to check out, I’m just super busy right now so I don’t get out as much as I use to. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to first off Thank God for giving me this vision….my purpose, my mom and dad for buying me a new double oven lol…I definitely needed that for my home based business. I also want to shoutout my cousin for investing in my company and believing in my business..love you guys! I would also like to give a special shout out to Porsha Kimble…Cake Diva and Jeromie…I am Kake King. These two have really helped me a lot! They both believed in me and helped me along the way and are very good teachers. I’ve learned a lot from them and I’m still learning!

Website: https://cakesbythepoundandmore.com/

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/cakesbythapound

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/cakesbythapound

Image Credits
Credit for myself I’ve taken all the pictures